1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a laser scanning and printing apparatus and, more particularly, to a laser scanning and printing apparatus for making high resolution enhanced image duplicates of original pictures scanned only in low resolution.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Laser scanning and printing apparatus are well known in the art. One such example of a laser scanning and printing apparatus that utilizes a laser to simultaneously provide a first laser beam for scanning an original pattern to derive pattern signals corresponding to the tones in the original pattern and a second laser beam for projecting recording light upon a recording medium is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,622,690, entitled "Electronic Scanner Utilizing a Laser for the Simultaneous Scanning and Reproducing of Images", by A. Stephens et al., issued November 23, 1971. The laser color scanner and printer of the Stephens et al. patent also includes a color correction computer to correct for the deficiencies in the printing dyes. Thus, patterns, photographs, pictures, etc. are scanned in laser light and converted to electronic signal information by photoresponsive devices which detect the scanning beam. The electronic signal information is the reafter modified by the appropriate algorithms to provide an enhanced image upon the printing of the reproduction. During the printing process for the reproduction, laser light modulated in accordance with the enhanced electronic signal information is line scanned across the surface of a photosensitive material to directly expose a duplicate image of the original pattern. Since the laser light is utilized directly to line scan and expose the photosensitive material for the reproduction, the original picture or pattern must be line scanned and sensed in high resolution in order to provide a high resolution duplicate. Thus, the resolution of the duplicate image can be no greater than the resolution at which the original pattern or picture is line scanned.
Line scanning the original pattern or picture in high resolution to provide image data for each minute picture element or pixel results in the provision of an enormous quantity of image data. This enormous quantity of image data is greatly expanded if converted from an analog format to a digital format as is generally preferred in high quality electronic imaging systems. This enormous quantity of image data must also be processed in the aforementioned manner to provide such electronic image enhancements as color correction thereby necessitating large complex computers and long image processing times.
Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a laser scanning and printing apparatus for providing a high resolution enhanced image duplicate of an original picture scanned in generally low resolution to provide only a minimal quantity of image data.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a laser scanning and printing apparatus in which a minimal quantity of image data derived from scanning an original print in low resolution may be processed to provide an enhanced image high resolution duplicate.
Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. The invention accordingly comprises a mechanism and system possessing the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure.